Here is part three of my preview to the 2014 NRL season, along with a unique haiku poem for each NRL contender.
North Queensland Cowboys (Elimination Final – eighth – 12-12)
A disappointing season for the Cowboys who boasted a playing roster the envy of many other NRL clubs.
Coach Neil Henry was notified that he was excess to requirements and wouldn’t be returning next season as the Cowboys languished in 13th spot after being beaten by the Broncos.
That news sparked the Cowboys to win their last six matches on the trot to sneak into eighth spot on the ladder and it into the semis.
The news didn’t get much better in the post season where they had their season ended with the assistance of refereeing controversies for the second straight year.
The best news for the Cowboys was the rather surprising re-signing of Jonathon Thurston after the media reported that he was as good as signed, sealed and delivered to Penrith.
Time is running out on the Cowboys premiership hopes in the Thurston era, and as every year, to be considered a serious threat you’d have to think they need to finish in the Top four to get a home semi, and maybe just maybe some luck in the refereeing.
No smiles in Townsville
As refs killed Cowboys again
They can’t count to six
2014 Tip: Top eight – Can new coach turn around their fortunes?
Canterbury Bulldogs (Elimination Final – sixth – 13-11)
Will be looking to bounce back from a very disappointing year, although they didn’t suffer as badly from grand final disappointment as other teams have in recent years.
Hopes were high after making the grand final in 2012, but with Ben Barba’s personal issues, James Graham’s suspension and some early injuries the Bulldogs struggled to re-capture their 2012 form. Exited the competition with barely a whimper in the first week on some hopelessly ill disciplined play from their captain – Michael Ennis
The novel short passing among the forwards didn’t give opposing defences the same problems as the year before, not sure if that’s due to the Bulldogs lack of form, or whether oppositions had worked it out.
Barba has now gone and Tony Williams was the biggest disappointment of 2013 as his form was a pale shadow of what he’d produced at Manly, which was evident to everyone apart from coach Des Hasler who steadfastly stuck to playing Williams for 80 minutes.
Worst signing by far
T-Rex played more like T-Bag
Who replaces Barba?
2014 Tip: Bottom eight – Has the Hasler magic gone?
Gold Coast Titans (9th – 11-13)
One of the pleasant surprises of 2013.
Not tipped to make much noise, but behind a tough forward pack, the young halves pair of Albert “fifth chance” Kelly and Aidan Sezer excelled and the Titans fell just two points short of the eight
The surprise in the off season with the Titans completing a direct swap of Jamal “no one tells me to go on a diet” Idris with Brad Tighe from Penrith and in the process halved their food (and salary) bill.
I guess now we’ll never see the kids show that the Titans promised to create Jamal to tempt him North.
Titans have only had one coach in their existence of seven seasons. During that time they have a record of 78-90 and made the semis twice, most recently in 2010.
A roaring success in comparison to the previous Gold Coast incarnations, however there must be some pressure mounting on John Cartwright.
Difficult to see them challenging the cream of the competition for a Top four or Top eight spot and their season will depend on the progress of their halves. I predict a regression.
A vanilla team
Not bad, but not great either
The Gold Coast Titans
2014 Tip: Bottom four – Lack the quality in the spine
Penrith Panthers (10th – 11-13)
Another surprise packet in 2013. Prior to the season bid farewell to a number of club stalwarts – Michael Gordon, Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings.
Then were hammered by injuries were forced to field a number of young players and in the process blooded talents like Matt Moylan.
Recruited heavily in the off-season, picking up a number of veterans – Brent Kite, and new halves pairing Peter “sings in the upper register since rupturing a testicle” Wallace and Jamie “don’t tackle me” Soward.
St George lost patience with Soward and the Panthers have signed him as a stop-gap solution after they missed the signature of Thurston
Expectations for 2014 will be much higher than 2013, and a lot will depend on what the veterans can bring to the team.
Only hope out West
With Parra and the Tigers
Down in the basement
2014 Tip: Bottom eight – May find it hard to repeat last year
New Zealand Warriors (11th – 11-13)
Opened their season by being thrashed 40-10 by Parramatta. The full horror of that score line became apparent over the course of the season and while it couldn’t get any worse than that, the season didn’t improve all that much.
They started the season 2-8 and found themselves languishing at the bottom of the table. They then went on a 7-1 run, during the Origin period, in which time they beat Manly, Easts and Melbourne.
Just when it looked like they had found some form and had their finals destiny in their own hands they collapsed down stretch and were the only team that were never inside the top eight during the year.
They reached the grand final 2011, and have been disappointing since.
Jekyll and Hyde team
Having to fly across the dutch
Can be a real butch
2014 Tip: Top eight – Warriors find some fight
Brisbane Broncos (12th – 10-1-13)
An unfamiliar finishing place for the Broncos missing the finals for just the second time in 22 years and their lowest ever finish.
It cost Sam Thaiday the captaincy, coach Anthony Griffin survived, but surely won’t if they don’t reverse their fortunes this season.
This team has every possible advantage of every other club in the competition which I’d reckon must equate to about six competition points a year.
The sole team in a football mad city – they average 30k per home game. They don’t need to outbid other teams in the area for players that want to live in Brisbane.
They have an almost permanent home fixture on Friday nights providing maximum exposure for potential sponsors on television every week.
Have been the beneficiaries of Ben Barba wanting to move closer to family, however need to find a halves combination from somewhere with Peter Wallace, Scott Prince and Corey Norman all leaving the club.
Poor Brisbane Broncos
Despite all the advantages
Still miss Lockyer
2014 Tip: Bottom eight – Glue factory for the Broncos
Join us tomorrow for the final part in the series.
@Armchair_Guru
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